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03-27-2011, 11:36 PM   #16
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Of the 10 lenses listed below I use my m28/3.5 and Voigtlander 40/2.0
wide open with confidence and also my helios44 58/2.0.
The K45-125 only if the subject is in the centre.

03-27-2011, 11:45 PM   #17
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I differentiate between lenses that are acceptably sharp wide open & lenses that, are truly sharp wide open. I don´t have any lenses that aren´t in either category except the kit lenses at 55mm, but those that fall into the second are:

Tamron 17-50 f/2.8
Pentax M 28 f/3.5
Pentax 55-300 f/4 - f/5.8

If you´re shooting wide open then you cannot expect absolute sharpness. Unless you´re shooting a brick wall then DoF will take care of that anyway.
03-27-2011, 11:46 PM   #18
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The DA35 f/2.8 macro limited is very sharp wide open...
03-27-2011, 11:46 PM   #19
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Wide open, my 125mm f/2.5 Macro Apo-Lanthar is hard to beat!



03-28-2011, 01:12 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Asahiflex Quote
Wide open, my 125mm f/2.5 Macro Apo-Lanthar is hard to beat!

Damn! you have the voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 in pentax K mount.

I had to get mine in Nikon F mount because the camera store where I bought mine didn't have any K mount versions left, but at least I have the minor satisfaction of using mine on a full frame Nikon D3s
03-28-2011, 02:03 AM   #21
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From personal experience (I do not have any limiteds or expensive lenses) the M50 1.7 and the F 28 2.8 are pretty sharp wide open. From seeing other's photos the SMC super tak 50 1.4, super tak 55 1.8, A 50 1.2, A* 85 1.4 just to name a few.
03-28-2011, 03:45 AM   #22
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The Sigma 70/2.8 EX Macro is sharper wide open than some other lenses stopped down. The only reason for stopping it down is to get more DOF; it is very, very sharp wide open already. Hundred percent crops look as if you could zoom further into them.

Here are some wide open shots courtesy by jsherman999.


Last edited by Class A; 03-28-2011 at 03:50 AM.
03-28-2011, 06:19 AM   #23
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I don't don't mean that one shouldn't use the sharpest lens practical but don't forget the utility of good sharpening software. Here's a quick focus magic example.
03-28-2011, 09:27 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
The Sigma 70/2.8 EX Macro is sharper wide open than some other lenses stopped down. The only reason for stopping it down is to get more DOF; it is very, very sharp wide open already. Hundred percent crops look as if you could zoom further into them.

Here are some wide open shots courtesy by jsherman999.
it's brutally sharp indeed even in the micro level. this includes in the contrast and sharpness level. I can only imagine how sharp the 150 is, considering it has a higher MTF score than the 70. Yowza !
03-28-2011, 10:14 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by philippe Quote
According to Henry Cartier-Bresson: "sharpness is a bourgeois concept":ugh:
I love that quotation and agree with it to limited extent. Of course, HC-B did shoot with Leica cameras and the best lenses of his day. Which reminds me that people who turn up their noses at discussions of gear quality often use the best gear themselves.

Rob
03-28-2011, 11:23 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
If the choice is between getting a fast enough shutter speed or accepting motion blur, I'd shoot anything wide open - it's bound to be sharper than if I stopped down. That include the kit zooms, although of course I'd prefer to shoot something faster to increase shutter speed further.

Bottom line being, whatever you lose in sharpness by shooting wide open on even the worst lenses I've used is more than offset by the increase in shutter speed, at least in the cases where that's the limiting factor. And besides, my choice in lens is primarily determined by focal length, so I don't care how sharp my DA15 is wide open if it's not the right lens for the job.

So I still don't really get the question.
Of course you don't get the question Marc, you live in sunny Colorado. Here in dreary overcast Nebraska I find myself shooting in low light a lot, whether I'm shooting people in downtown Omaha under awnings in the old market, wildlife in wooded areas, or in early/late light, etc. Bottom line is I'm usually wanting to increase shutter speed to freeze action, but often can't because there isn't enough available light. And that's with ISO jacked up on the K-5 to 1600 to 6400 and as wide an aperture as I can by with, for my application and the lens I'm shooting. For example, this weekend I was shooting sandhill cranes in the afternoon with my 300mm wide open at ISO 1600 and I often wasn't able to get above 1/750 shutter speed, which left BIF wingtips blurry.

So I posed the question because I'm trying to find lenses that will work for me wide open. For arguments sake lets say the DA * 50-135 is not as sharp as the Sigma 50-150 at f/2.8. That I'd have to stop down the DA to f/4 to get it as sharp as the Sigma. Then that would be one on the plus side for the Sigma.

I just thought if I could compile a list of lenses that people find acceptably sharp wide open, it would help me with lens choices. I realize sharpness is but one quality of a lens, but it's an important one to me, even if that makes me a not so cool photographer.
03-28-2011, 12:34 PM   #27
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FA limited lens!
03-28-2011, 03:34 PM   #28
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Still can't beat my Helios 77M-4 which is incredibly sharp at 1.8.
Helios 44 is ok, but not spectacular
Sigma 70-200mm is great at 70-150mm range, awesomely sharp at 100-135mm at 2.8, disappointing at 200mm
Pentax 50mm f/1.7-M is softer than I'd like but that's due fungus.
03-28-2011, 03:48 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by kbrede Quote
To put it In other words, lenses that *you* wouldn't hesitate to shoot wide open if you wanted a sharp shot. I'm actually looking for subjective. I never worry about shooting my 300 wide open, the rest of my lenses I do.
The two lenses I hesitate to use wide open in my signature are the DA 55-300mm and M 28mm F/3.5. Other than that, I use the rest wide open 80% of the time easy.

examples:
F 135mm @ F/2.8



F 28mm @ F/2.8



Takumar 300mm @ F/4



K 50mm @ F/1.2



M 85mm @ F/2



etc. etc.
03-28-2011, 07:11 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by kbrede Quote
Of course you don't get the question Marc, you live in sunny Colorado. Here in dreary overcast Nebraska I find myself shooting in low light a lot
Actually, most of my shooting is in jazz clubs. Darker than even Nebraska! So I'm almost always maxing out ISO, and again, there is not a lens I've used seen that won't produce a better picture in those conditions wide open than stopped down, because the reduction in blur (camera shake / subject motion) more than makes up for whatever difference in sharpness there might be. pretty much doesn't matter what lens you are talking about, in low light, you're going to shoot wide open if you want a sharp picture. The only reason not to would be with something where DOF would be unacceptably shallow.

But the other part of why I don't "get" the question is, you haven't given us any idea what focal length you are even wanting. That's the first consideration in choosing a lens.
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